Wood-bending machines



@uitrit gisten getint @frn oTIs W. STEARNS., 0F LEBANON, New. HAMPSHIRE. Lene-8 Paone Ndjccaoe, (intently 2, 1861.'

dije Sulphate rcferreh iq in tlgese tettcrs httut mn mating nari uf tigt sans.

T0 ALL WHGM IT MAY CON CERN Bc it known that I, OTIs W. Swann; ot' Lebanon, inthe county of Gi'iifton, and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new andimproved Machine for Bending Scythe-Snaths3 and I do hereby declare that the following is a. full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speci'catiom'in which- Figure 1,'shcf-.t 1, is a plan or topvicw of my invention when the machine is in position before bending the scythesnath. I i

Figure 2, sheet 2, isa horizontal section taken in the plane ot the line a: 1:, Figure 3, when the machine is in position after the snath is bent. i

Figure 3, sheetid, is a vertical transverse section taken in the line y y, fig. 2. 4 Similar. letters of refer-ence indicate like parts. I i The nature of this innen-tion consists in machinery for bending scythe-snaths`, whereby the work is more rapidly and economically performed than by the ordinary method of bending them by hand. The machinery i for accomplishing this object is a'combination of a series of followers or prcssers, which arc made to move in concert with each other, to bear simultaneously upon both-sides and nl l parts of a stick of ash, or other suitable timber, to bend it into the required curves for forming a scythe-snath, whichv mo vement of the shaping-pressers is produced by a corresponding series of cams acting on each, and so shaped and proportioned in size as to give faster and slower motion to the,shaping-pressers, and more them a lesser or `greater distance, according 4to the depth et' the curve in the snath froh: a longitudinal centre liuc and the distance therefrom whicheach presser would have at the point of Contact with the stick being bent. Connected with the shaping apparatus are also arrangements for releasing the bent snath and removing it from the machine, as hereinaftertdescribed.

A represents a'rectangula'r frame, built of strongA timbers. 'At the upper part of the frame is a series ot cams, B B, placed on a shaft, @running from Vside 'to side. Th'e cams have various curves on their peripheries, and are of di'erent sizes, no two of them being exactly alike, andA .are sc .formed as to move the horizontal followers or shaping-pressers b exactly according to the shape of the curveu'n the snath at the point lacted upon by eachpresser. The pressers are connected with the cams by a hook, c, on the end'ofeach, 'which catches in a rim on the peripheryof the cams, by which hook the cam' draws the pressers back. Some of the prcssers b b have single heads d, and others are coupled together in pairs by heads e, which heads are severally faced in the shape requird for bending the snath at the parts they touch, respectively. The prcssers b b are'connected rby str'aps g g` withi corresponding presser-s having corresponding heads d'c, the heads c e being loosely coupled with the 4presser-s and pivotod to the 'connecting-straps in such manner that they can play freely, and by the movement of thepressers have their facesbrought nearly in a straight; line, to admit a straight stick of timber, or he arrangedmelatively toeach other in thedesircd curves for bending the snath, while the distance between the heads remains unchanged. The heads c e on one `sdc are connected by a'sheet-metal strap, i-that lies against the face of theintcrmediate heads d d. .The opposite central heads d andxd are connected by a cross-rod, h, fig. 3, which is acted upon, to move then in concert, by a tapcr-lever, c, that rises and falls on the head of n stud, k', with cach movement back and forth of the prcssers, which arrangement may be applied to other opposite presscrs, to connect them in their movements, instcadof thc straps g., The shaping-pressers all rest on beams across the frame, and the heads lie upon a thick board, C, that is slotted from end to end, n the curve of the snath, directly under the space between the heads of the pressers when the snath is completely bent. The cam-shaft a is 'turned' by a hand-lever, Z,- at one end. When the prcsscrs Vb b are drawn back, as shown in iig. 1, thc space between the heads is straight enough to admit thestick to be bent, which stick, when hot by steaming, is introduced 'end-wisc and licsin the space aforesaid. On each end of the machine are hung two aide-clampinglcvcrs DD, one of which is' thrown open to introduce. the stick, and is then hooked, like the other, to a. rope or chain, m, which is wound upon the shaft a, to draw them'up against the ends ofthe stick and clamp it lengthwise at the same time the .prcssers are moved u p to bend the snath laterally. Placed over the heads of the presscrs is a frame, E, tig. 43, on -the under side of which are fastened vertical followers n n, whose ends are ranged directly over the space occupied by the snath when bent, and arc moved down by racks and pinicnspp on each end of the frame E, for the purposeof pushing the snath ont of the space between the heads of the pressers'down through the slot in the board C into an iron'mou1d ,r, that is placed-in a double clamp F, mounted on trucks wrwhicb standen a train-way, q q, to be'rnn out with the snatb. The clompsF are opened to take outthe mould 1', which -holds the snath till it is cold 'and set. Many such moulds are required for business.

' The machine can be operated hand or power, 'and modifications may be uiade in the arrangement of the machinery without departing' from theprnciples of operation of my invention; 'and therefore I do not. conne my claims tothe particulardevices and their arrangements herein described; but having fully describednly invention and the means of performing it, what 'I 'claim as new, and desire, to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.- The'conncted prcssers band b,` with their heads d and d', e and e', arranged as described, and operated u pon by cams B, or their equivalents, so as to be moved in concert for receiving zistraghtv stick between them and bendilg it into shape for a scythelsnuth, substantially as hereinfdescribed'n 2, The "sliding-frame E, with vertical followers n, constructed und arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein specified. l-

34. The double clamp F, in combination with the iron mould arranged and operating substantially as' and for the purposes herein set forth. y

4. .The combination of'thecums 15,. the presser b lb', the followers, and the lever-'clamps D. constructed, arranged, and operating in the manner and for the purposes herein` described i O'. W, STEARNS.

Witnesses:

W. M. AMSDEN, l. G. ST'EnRNs. 

